Revamp of local park underway

Sports and recreation contribute to the empowerment and development of a community. It is for this reason that members of the Kempton Park Residents, Camangu NGO and a local business forum took it upon themselves to clean up the park on Pienaar Avenue.

Kempton Park Residents is an organisation that was formed last year to address matters concerning the community and they often work with the local business forum on such projects.

“We aim to clean up places that are not maintained and are vandalized. We are in talks with the municipality to also come on board with such initiatives,” said Buli Mokwatisi, the founder of Camangu NGO.

“One of the metro’s departments donated equipment towards the cleanup. Our goal is to restore these abandoned and dilapidated buildings so that they benefit our children and the community at large. “We want to convert buildings, like the one on this park, for proper recreational services such as helping children with their homework, to hold soup kitchens and extramural activities.” Mokwatisi said that they wanted to invite the homeless to be part of the clean-up because they feel they are also a part of the community, however, due to time constraints, they were unable to.

Sylvia Mkutukana, a committee member of Kempton Park Residents, told Express that they want to empower members of the community.

“We also want to reach out to prostitutes to help empower them with skills,” said Mkutukana.

“It’s also heart-breaking that every Friday and Saturday we have young girls who tried to play netball on these premises but because the park is dirty, not maintained and dilapidated it proves to be fruitless.”

Members of the local organisation have pleaded with the municipality to erect a fence around the park.

“We don’t feel safe walking near the park, especially during winter. People get robbed,” said Lulama Mkutswana, also a committee member of Kempton Park Residents.

“There is a shelter or a shack structure that the nyaope addicts have erected at the park. We don’t feel safe when in the vicinity.

“We also want to grow arts and culture at this park as we have children who want to get involved in different kinds of extramural activities but have no platform to express themselves. “We also ask businesses to refrain from dumping waste at the park. We, ultimately want to see the whole of Kempton Park clean.”

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The sentiments of arts and culture were shared with another committee member, Phumlani Nyanga, who is also a choreographer.

“My main concern is the children who grow up in such environments and who are exposed to prostitutes and drugs,” said Nyanga.

“We want to use the building to hold meetings and among other things to hold classes relating to arts and culture. We also want the place to serve as a rehab for the youngsters who smoke nyaope.”

Mokwatisi said they need sponsorship to help make their dream of a revamped recreational park a reality.

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